How to Straighten Bent Miniatures

how to straighten bent miniatures

There are a number of reasons that you might have a bent miniature, but no matter what the reason, the situation is incredibly frustrating. Bending and warping of miniatures occurs when the plastic is removed from the model mold too early. As the hot plastic meets the cooler air, there is tension that causes the plastic to contract and warp.

Luckily, there is an easy fix to this problem, and you are only going to need things that you already have in your home. You’ll just need your stove, a small pot, and water. If you have sensitive hands, you might also want to have access to a pair of thick gloves for the process.

As frustrating as bent miniatures are, it is relieving to hear that there is an incredibly easy solution. They will be looking good as new in just a few minutes. You can have your miniatures fixed and ready to play with in no time.

How to Fix Thin Bends

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First, you are going to want to put water in the small pot you have. It is recommended to fill up until about half an inch is left between the top of the water and the top of the pot. Try to make sure there is enough water so that you don’t have to stick your hand in far, but the water won’t overflow.

Put the pot of water on your stove and bring it almost to a boil. The water doesn’t have to be boiling hot, but if the temperature of the water is higher, the less time you will need to hold the miniature in.

When your water is at the right temperature, you will want to slowly dip the miniature into the water. If the weapon of the miniature is bent, dip the part of the hand in that is holding the weapon. If the base is bent, just dip the base in. Everything that you submerge in the water has the potential to soften up, so be as careful as possible.

You will want to dip very quickly, only holding the miniature in the water for between three and five seconds. The bent piece might naturally start to straighten because the plastic has a molded memory. The bend is caused from tension, which is released when you apply the heated water.

When you remove the miniature from the water after about five seconds, you will need to quickly adjust the bent piece by pulling it in the necessary direction to straighten it. This won’t take very much pressure, you will need just enough to make it straight. There is a window of about five seconds to mold the miniature back to normal.

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How Do You Fix a Warped Base in Warhammer?

A Warhammer miniature with a warped or bent base is fixed in a way that is similar to what was explained above. First, fill the small pot with enough water so you can easily reach the water without the risk of the water boiling over.

Bring the water to a rolling simmer, the step right before boiling. This will be hot enough to mend the plastic back into place without melting the entire miniature. Submerge the warped base into the hot water just past the point that is bent. Since the plastic on the base is thicker than that of a weapon, you will need to hold it in the water for a few extra seconds.

It is recommended to let the base of the miniature sit in the hot water for about seven seconds. This will be plenty of time to soften up the material. When you get the miniature base out of the water, you will want to very quickly and firmly press it down on a solid surface.

Press down on the base while pulling up on the miniature’s torso. Hold this position for between five and seven seconds to ensure that the piece molds back into the right position and stays that way until it cools down. You might need to repeat this process a few times if the base is really warped.

How to Straighten Bent Metal Miniatures

When it comes to metal miniatures, you aren’t going to want to use boiling water to straighten them. The metal can become entirely too hot and burn you during the process. Luckily, bent metal miniatures should be able to bend back into place without the use of heat.

Since the metal is usually pretty thin and flexible, you should be able to very carefully bend the miniature back into shape without the use of heat. You can try to use two flat, firm objects to help you. As it bends back into place, you will likely hear a slight crackling sound.

This crackling sound will be a good indicator of when the metal piece is back in its proper spot. If you hear this sound, stop what you are doing and check it out. As long as the piece looks straight, leave it alone.

It is important to bend the metal slowly and only in one direction. If you bend too quickly or back and forth, there is a high chance that you can break the entire bent piece off. You should also try to avoid bending in the wrong place, as this will not fix the current bend. You will just have a new bend to deal with, which is even more frustrating.

Final Thoughts

There is nothing worse than finding that your miniatures are bent. This can happen for several different reasons, but it usually happens during the manufacturing process. If your miniatures are plastic, you can easily bend them back into shape with the help of some almost boiling water.

Dealing with bent metal miniatures can be a little more difficult. You shouldn’t use hot water with metal because you can hurt yourself when you try to fix it. It is best to gently try bending the bent metal piece back into place. Avoid bending too quickly or bending back and forth. This increases the risk of breaking the piece off by accident.

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